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Title: Repositioning Public Parks and Recreation to Ensure a Viable Future


1
Repositioning Public Parks and Recreation to
Ensure a Viable Future
  • The Keys to Park and Recreations Future Viability

John L. Crompton
  • www.rpts.tamu.edu/faculty/crompton.shtml

2
  • What business are we in?

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Marketing Myopia!
  • Narrow, short-term thinking

7
Gray and Greben, 1974
  • Professional perspectives of parks and
    recreation are activity centered. Definition in
    terms of activities is unsatisfactory.
  • We should have discovered long ago the nature of
    the business we are in, but we have notThe
    critical questions are not, How many were there?
    Or Who won? The critical question is, What
    happened to Jose, Mary, Sam and Joan in this
    experience.

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What Business Are We In?
  • Charles Revson
  • In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store
    we sell hope.

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  • Desire for social interaction with others
  • A gain in prestige. The mastery of particular
    skills may be regarded as a form of conspicuous
    consumption, which brings forth peer group
    recognition
  • Excitement
  • Ego-satisfaction if achievement. A desire to be
    successful
  • A desire for security To be part of a group
    which gives connectedness to others, and a sense
    of affection
  • A feeling of being important and having
    responsibility Growth of self worth
  • Fantasy, illusion, offering temporary escape from
    everyday activities
  • Relaxation. Mental relaxation which may be
    obtained from hard or no physical effort
  • Acquisition of knowledge or satisfying curiosity
  • Happiness

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Why Do People Go Fishing?
  • To
  • Experience the outdoors
  • Develop skills
  • Pit wits with the fish
  • Be with friends
  • Share skills with others especially children
  • Mental change and relaxation
  • Escape from pressures of everyday life
  • Take a trophy
  • Get food

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Motivations For Fishing
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  • Desire for social interaction with others
  • A gain in prestige. The mastery of particular
    skills may be regarded as a form of conspicuous
    consumption, which brings forth peer group
    recognition
  • Excitement
  • Ego-satisfaction if achievement. A desire to be
    successful
  • A desire for security To be part of a group
    which gives connectedness to others, and a sense
    of affection
  • A feeling of being important and having
    responsibility Growth of self worth
  • Fantasy, illusion, offering temporary escape from
    everyday activities
  • Relaxation. Mental relaxation which may be
    obtained from hard or no physical effort
  • Acquisition of knowledge or satisfying curiosity
  • Happiness

18
Despite Limitations, User Benefits Are Important
  • Meet basic human needs

19
  • Desire for social interaction with others
  • A gain in prestige. The mastery of particular
    skills may be regarded as a form of conspicuous
    consumption, which brings forth peer group
    recognition
  • Excitement
  • Ego-satisfaction if achievement. A desire to be
    successful
  • A desire for security To be part of a group
    which gives connectedness to others, and a sense
    of affection
  • A feeling of being important and having
    responsibility Growth of self worth
  • Fantasy, illusion, offering temporary escape from
    everyday activities
  • Relaxation. Mental relaxation which may be
    obtained from hard or no physical effort
  • Acquisition of knowledge or satisfying curiosity
  • Happiness

20
20 Occupations Projected to Have the Largest Job
Growth
21
Despite Limitations, User Benefits Are Important
  • Meet basic human needs
  • Individual users are the primary advocates and
    infantry in lobbying and referendums
  • Some recreation services are explicitly intended
    to deliver only user benefits through enterprise
    funds
  • The benefit chain of causality. Many
    community-wide benefits accruing to society are
    dependent on individuals receiving benefits

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Implications of the Range of Benefits Continuum
25
The Tax Support Downward Spiral
26
Gray and Greben
We are turning control of our social enterprises
over to the accounting mind. The accounting mind
reaches decisions by a method in which
short-range fiscal consequences are the only
criteria of value. Recreation and park services
will not survive in that kind of environment.
Most of the great social problems that disfigure
our national life cannot be addressed in a
climate dominated by that kind of value system
27
The Voluntary Exchange Conceptualization of
Marketing
28
  • User satisfaction is an inadequate measure of the
    success of park and recreation agencies. Most
    taxpayers are not users of most of our services,
    so why should they support them? Need wider base
    of support.
  • It is off-site benefits that count highest, not
    on-site benefits.

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  • User satisfaction is an inadequate measure of the
    success of park and recreation agencies. Most
    taxpayers are not users of most of our services,
    so why should they support them? Need wider base
    of support.
  • It is off-site benefits that count highest, not
    on-site benefits.
  • The fields sine qua non is that it performs a
    necessary service for the community beyond
    responding to the demands of particular user
    groups

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Incongruency Associated with the User Benefits
Paradigm
32
  • The provision of leisure for its own sake still
    lacks political clout. It has to show other, more
    tangible returns, such as jobs, urban
    regeneration, alleviating delinquency or
    whatever, to be worth fundingOn its own it
    sounds too flippant It carries real political
    conviction only if advocated for other,
    instrumental, reasons too.
  • Sue Glyptis Leisure and Unemployment

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The Voluntary Exchange Conceptualization of
Marketing
35
The Community Benefits Paradigm
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Present Position
  • Recreation and park provision is perceived to be
    a relatively discretionary, non-essential
    government service. It is nice to have if it can
    be afforded.

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Reposition
  • Position recreation and park services so that
    they are perceived to be a central contribution
    to alleviating the major problems in a community
    identified by tax payers and decision makers.

39
Positioning Implications
  • Legislators political platforms represent
    residents concerns
  • The challenge is not financial, it is political
  • Some services will be discretionary Strategic
    importance

40
Public Recreation Challenges
  • Emergence of non-profits
  • Mega-church facilities

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Public Recreation Challenges
  • Emergence of non-profits
  • Mega-church facilities
  • Emergence of commercial sector involvement
  • Home-based electronic entertainment

43
The Economic Rationale for Urban Parks
  • Regenerated working people so they would be more
    productive workers
  • Attracted tourists who spent money in the local
    economy
  • Raised property values and the property tax base

44
Rationale for Urban Parks
  • Public health
  • Provided fresh air which counteracted miasmas
  • Foster democratic equality
  • Different classes mingle together while
    strolling, picnicking, and croquet playing, thus
    social homogeneity are nurtured
  • Social coherence
  • Parks were incubators of safety and social order
    they alleviated crime by strengthening local
    pride and affection of the inhabitants for each
    other

45
Public Swimming Pools Rationale
  • Pre 1890---Public baths no baths in houses
  • Physical squalor cultivated moral delinquency and
    citywide epidemics
  • Germ theory emerged
  • 1890s---Athletics exercise, physical fitness
    boom among urban middle-class
  • 1910-20---Alleviate delinquency among young
    working class males by expanding their surplus
    energy
  • 1920-30---Community, gender and class integration
  • 1930-40---CWA and WPA unemployment relief from
    heat and hard times for public and those who
    built the pools
  • 1960s---Alleviate juvenile crime and rioting
    (hydrants)
  • Today?---Alleviate drowning? Leisure literacy?

46
Public Recreation
  • Alleviate juvenile crime among young males
    encourage civility and civic responsibility

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  • In a letter dated April 30, 1909, President
  • William Taft wrote to the Playground
  • Association of America I do not know
  • anything which will contribute more to the
  • strength and morality of that generation of
  • boys and girls compelled to remain part of
  • urban populations in this country than the
  • institution in their cities of playgrounds.

49
  • Playgrounds, if abundant and properly located,
    equipped and managed, make the neighborhood more
    orderly, clean and better
  • A policeman of the east side said, the
    playground has solved the juvenile problem for
    us. We have none now, for the children are off
    the streets.
  • Hartford, CT 1912

50
Benefits Related to Economic Prosperity
  • Attracting tourists
  • Attracting businesses
  • Attracting retirees
  • Enhancing real estate values
  • Reducing taxes
  • Stimulation of equipment sales

51
Benefits Related to Environmental Sustainability
  • Cleaning water
  • Controlling flooding
  • Cleaning air
  • Reducing traffic congestion
  • Reducing energy costs
  • Preserving biological diversity

52
Benefits Related to Alleviating Social Problems
  • Reducing environmental stress
  • Community regeneration
  • Cultural and historical preservation
  • Facilitating healthy lifestyles
  • Alleviating deviant behavior among youth
  • Raising levels of educational attainment
  • Alleviating unemployment distress

53
Relationships Among Different Categories of
Benefits
54
Credibility of the Evidence
  • we have come a long way in essentially less
    than a half-century and have much to be proud
    ofIn fact, few areas of scientific inquiry have
    realized such advancements in so short a time.
  • Driver, 1999

55
  • Critics who argue there is inadequate evidence to
    support the potential contributions of these
    benefits are wrong. There is strong enough
    empirical support for all of the benefits listed
    to justify their advocacy in formulating policy.

56
  • We are not identified with major problems which
    confront our total American Society which is a
    deep concern and disappointmentThe field
    should focus park and recreation services on the
    great social problems of our time and develop
    programs designed to contribute to the
    amelioration of those problems.
  • Gray and Greben, 1974

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  • The big idea associated with repositioning is
    that funds are invested in solutions to a
    communitys most pressing problems. The term
    investing suggests a positive, forward-looking
    agenda with a return on the investments. Elected
    officials usually have no mandate to fund
    programs their mandate is to invest resources
    into solutions.

59
Four Positioning Axioms
  • Axiom 1 Formulate a position statement
  • How the agency wants to be identified in the
    publics eyes. What business are we in?
  • The Benefits are Endless
  • Discover the Benefits
  • The Fun Experts
  • Providers of the Good Things in Life

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  • Economic Prosperity
  • Lifelong Learning
  • Investing in Youth Our Greatest Asset
  • Step Up to Health Healthy Communities Start in
    Parks
  • Healthy by Nature
  • Greener, Cleaner, Safer, Stronger
  • Healthy Lifestyles, Liveable Communities It
    Starts in Parks

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Healthy Parks, Healthy People
  • The position communicates two principal health
    themes
  • The role of Parks Victoria in keeping the
    environment healthy by addressing such core
    public concerns as enhancing air quality,
    enhancing water quality, and alleviating
    flooding.
  • The physical and mental health benefits accruing
    to state residents using the parks.

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Four Positioning Axioms
  • Axiom 1 Formulate a position statement
  • Axiom 2 - Agencies do not position services,
    stakeholders do
  • Bilingual connecting with their priorities

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Connecting with Business Stakeholders
  • Investment in parks and recreation, not tax
    subsidy
  • Not greenways or trails, but green
    infrastructure
  • Amenities that are attractive to knowledge
    workers, not park and recreation facilities
  • Not natural areas, but low maintenance areas

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  • Midnight Basketball?
  • Youth Enrichment Program
  • Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism
    Sciences

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Four Positioning Axioms
  • Axiom 1 - Formulate a position statement
  • Axiom 2 - Agencies do not position services,
    stakeholders do
  • Axiom 3 Positioning is a relative rather than
    an absolute concept

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Four Positioning Axioms
  • Axiom 1 - Formulate a position statement
  • Axiom 2 - Agencies do not position services,
    stakeholders do
  • Axiom 3 - Positioning is a relative rather than
    an absolute concept
  • Axiom 4 - Focus
  • Only a small number of positions should be used
  • Communicate with messages that are consistent,
    persistent, and tightly focused

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  • Unfortunately, even as late as the 1970s
    recreation and parks professionals attempt to
    remain all things to all people.
  • Gray and Greben, 1974

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  • In the ages of the sound bite, focus is
    everything. The message has to be pervasive and
    insistent.

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  • Consider
  • Positioning reflects peoples beliefs and value
    systems which are hard to change
  • Agencies are not very agile
  • Thus
  • The time frame for accomplishing repositioning is
    likely to be relatively long (i.e., 10 years not
    1 year)

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Four Repositioning StrategiesHow to get from
Position A to Position B
74
Real Repositioning
  • Development of new services or restructuring
    existing services so they better contribute to
    addressing the issue expressed in the desired
    position.

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Four Repositioning StrategiesHow to get from
Position A to Position B
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Associative Repositioning
  • Aligning with other organizations that already
    possess the desired position, and acquiring some
    of this position from the association.

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How to get from Position A to Position B
Four Repositioning Strategies
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Psychological Repositioning
  • Changing stakeholders beliefs about the outcomes
    which emanate from the services an agency offers,
    so they better align with the desired position.

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The Process of Psychological Repositioning
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Testimonial Evidence
  • Opinion leaders within the community
  • Leaders from other communities (direct or
    vicarious)
  • Independent experts

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The Process of Psychological Repositioning
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Change Value Perceptions
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  • Texans per capita annual investment in state
    parks was 2.43, which ranked Texas 49th among
    the 50 states. The comparative figures for Texas
    neighbors were Arkansas 11.00, Louisiana 3.40,
    New Mexico 10.59, and Oklahoma 11.89.
  • In 1990, Texas investment in state parks was
    0.31 of the states total budget in 2002 it was
    0.08. The percentage declined every year from
    1990 to 2002.
  • In FY 2002, Texas state parks generated 32.6
    million from their operations. This represented
    61.25 of total operating expenses and ranked
    Texas 6 among all states on this ratio.
  • If the self-generating revenue is deducted from
    the total operating expenses then the states net
    investment in operating its park and recreation
    facilities is 0.03 (three hundredths of one
    percent) of the states total annual budget and
    less than 1 per state resident per year.

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Decline in the NYC Parks and Recreation Budget
Relative to Budget Changes in other Departments
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The Process of Psychological Repositioning
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Aligning with the Prevailing Schemata and
Nomenclature
  • The council rejected a proposal to commit 1.5
    million to purchase 150 acres of land for a youth
    athletic field complex. They recognized the need,
    but it was not a high enough priority.
  • Recently an indoor special events center was
    constructed by the local university.
  • The athletic complex was repositioned and
    represented to the council as an outdoor special
    events center. Data were presented showing the
    economic impact of tournaments attracting
    300-1,000 participants each weekend, year round.
    It was supported by
  • Hotel/Motel Association
  • Restaurant Association
  • Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • The council approved purchase of the site, in
    part using bed tax funds

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Effective Vocabulary in Psychological
Repositioning for Parks and Conservation
  • Water clean water, preserving water quality
  • Protect wildlife habitat not endangered
    species, which is more polarizing
  • Natural areas avoid open space cf. empty
    space of no benefit to people urban space cf.
    an abandoned lot or bench among big buildings
  • Hiking, biking and walking trails not trails
    attaching uses to it makes it more resonant
  • Creating parks and other places where children
    can play safely not neighborhood parks or
    playgrounds
  • Protecting quality of life and carefully planned
    areas not sprawl, unplanned growth, or
    reducing sprawl
  • Our and We imply ownership and inclusion e.g.,
    WE need to protect OUR beaches, lakes, and
    natural areas
  • Protect natural areas for future generations
  • Talk about ourselves as conservationists not
    environmentalists

97
Four Repositioning StrategiesHow to get from
Position A to Position B
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Competitive Repositioning
  • Altering stakeholders beliefs about what an
    agencys competitors do.
  • Opportunity cost of investments made to others.
  • Deposition challenge the authenticity and
    legitimacy of another agencys claims trying to
    demote them.
  • Danger of backlash, sensitivity third party.
  • Likely to engage in associative repositioning

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Competitive Repositioning
Can Police Solve the Juvenile Crime Problem?
Clearance rate of juvenile crimes 20 But
one-third are not reported, so effective
clearance rate 14 One-third of those
charged are acquitted or dismissed, so percentage
convicted 9-10 Approximately one-half of
those convicted are not incarcerated, so those
incarcerated 5
101
  • Part of the problem of doing a cost-benefit
    evaluation analysis of the program is that you
    cannot measure what didnt happen. We save
    lives, but how can you measure a shooting that
    didnt occur because the kid was in this program?
  • Reco Bembry, Seattle PRD

102
Change in the Number of Serious Gang-Related
Offenses Committed in Fort Worth in One Year
103
Change in the Number of Serious Gang-Related
Offenses Committed in Fort Worth in One Year
104
Return on Fort Worths Investment
  • Assume the 152 fewer major crimes would have been
    committed by 100 young people
  • Cost of incarceration for one year at
    43,000/year 4.3M
  • Assume they would have been incarcerated for 10
    years 43M
  • Cost of program to Fort Worth taxpayers was
    677,699
  • Return on every dollar invested by the city was
    64 (43M / 677,699)

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Results of an Experiment Showing the Impact of
Repositioning Strategies
106
What Have We Gained?
  • Better understanding and appreciation of the
    significance of parks and recreation by
    stakeholders and professionals
  • Stronger justification for the allocation of
    public funds to parks and recreation
  • Clearer guidelines for service prioritizations
  • Enhanced pride in the profession

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Presentation available at
  • http//www.rpts.tamu.edu/faculty/crompton/crompton
    -recent-presentations.shtml
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